Three masked men held an elderly couple hostage for about six hours during a home robbery in the Lagoinha neighborhood of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo state. The couple, aged 89 and 85, were beaten and tied up as the intruders demanded jewelry and tried to get access to a safe, their 56-year-old son said.
The son had gone to a supermarket at about 8 a.m. and returned to find the house invaded. He said the robbers put him in the same room as his parents, who were already restrained. He described seeing both parents injured before the men also struck him.
The attackers reportedly entered the property at around 3:20 a.m. by climbing over a wall, then remained inside until they confronted the couple at about 9:40 a.m. During the robbery, one of the men showed the family photos of the woman wearing valuable jewelry, which he said he had seen on Facebook. The intruders also pointed to a family photograph taken at her 70th-birthday party and demanded the jewelry shown in it.
The robbers left with collectible banknotes, a chain and two mobile phones. The phones were later found abandoned in the street. Another son arrived after the attackers had left and helped the family out of the room where they had been locked.
The elderly couple suffered injuries to their heads and faces and were taken to a private hospital for treatment. The family said the parents remained shaken. No suspects had been arrested at the time of the report, and the Civil Police opened an investigation.
Sources: G1.